40 



HERBS 



Mead. 



Most States 



red or yellow, 5-petaled, with long hollow spurs extendingbackward. 



Parkinson writes in 1640, 

 "Leaves commonly used in 

 lotions for sore mouths and 

 throats. A dram of seeds 

 taken in wine with saffron 

 opens obstructions of liver, 

 and good for jaundice, caus- 

 ing profuse sweating." Span- 

 iards used to eat a piece of 

 the root in the morning on 

 fast days. The Indians often 

 boiled and ate the leaves in 

 the spring. The boiled roots 

 were used in a tea to stop di- 

 arrhea. The ripe seeds were 

 mashed, moistened and then 

 vigorously rubbed in the 

 hair to discourage head lice. 

 Fresh roots were mashed 

 and rubbed on aching joints. 

 When roots and leaves are boiled together it makes a decoction that 

 can be taken in one-half cupful doses several times daily for a 

 couple of days to stop biliousness or dizziness. If the whole plant 

 is boiled it is supposed, as a decoction taken in small doses, to 



stop veneral diseases. 



H-I60 BUTTERCUPS, 

 Ranunculus sp. (R, Calif - 

 ornicus, California Butter- 

 cup, illustrated). Usually 

 showy yellow (sometimes 

 white or red) flowers, 8"- 

 24" high, rising from more 

 or less basal leaves. 



Young flowers are pre- 

 served in vinegar as small 

 pickles. The juice of flow- 

 5INGLE ^"^ ers makes a yellow dye. 

 f/e ACHENE ^^ Indians parched seeds and 



made meal to use in bread. Roots were boiled and eaten. One 



